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Beckett aims to become majors' first 17-game winner

Sep 4, 2007 - 12:53 PM Toronto (70-67) at Boston (83-55) 7:05 pm EDT

BOSTON (Ticker) - The Boston Red Sox thought the signing of Daisuke Matsuzaka would help end the New York Yankees' run of nine straight American League East Division titles. It turns out it just might be Josh Beckett.

Beckett takes the hill looking to become the majors' first 17-game winner when the Red Sox face the Toronto Blue Jays in the middle game of a three-game series Tuesday.

Matsuzaka has allowed 20 runs in his last 23 2/3 innings after nearly blowing a 10-1 lead in Monday's 13-10 win. The Japanese import snapped a three-game losing streak, but was roughed up for seven runs and 10 hits in 5 1/3 innings.

Meanwhile, Beckett (16-6, 3.29 ERA) is a Cy Young candidate and a huge reason the Red Sox hold a seven-game lead over the Yankees (76-62) in the AL East . Beckett will try and rebound from a rare poor outing. The righthander allowed four runs and career-high 13 hits in a 4-3 loss to New York on Wednesday.

Beckett already has tied his career high of 16 wins set last season, but has vastly improved on his 5.01 ERA of 2006. The righthander is 1-1 with a 1.80 ERA in two starts vs. the Blue Jays this season.

Should Beckett win, he may have some company at the top as the Yankees' Chien-Ming Wang also has 16 wins and pitches on Tuesday.

Toronto sends ace Roy Halladay to the hill. Halladay (14-6, 3.87) is winless in his last three starts despite hurling his major league-leading sixth complete game on Wednesday. That is the longest winless streak of the season for Halladay, who allowed four runs and seven hits in a 5-4 loss to Oakland.

Halladay is 1-2 with a 6.04 ERA in four starts vs. Boston this season.